Manel Servián (AFAR): “adopting measures to improve energy efficiency and consumption is an obligation”.
Manel Servián, manager of the Andalusian Association of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Manufacturers (AFAR), explains in the following interview the incentive programmes being promoted by the Andalusian Energy Agency to support decarbonisation and facilitate energy transition in Andalusia. He explains the importance of improvements to energy consumption and its impact on the economy.
How important are the improvements to energy consumption and their real impact on the economy, industrialisation and construction developments?
In an increasingly competitive economic market, adopting technical measures available today that improve efficiency and energy consumption is not only a possibility but an obligation. We have seen energy costs in recent years rise like never before and having a direct impact on the price of raw materials and manufactured goods, due not only to their prices on the market but also the subsequent operating costs.
We had the idea of bringing people together from the energy industry and Public Administration, who presented their current subsidy programmes, to work collaboratively at conference where they were able to exchange ideas. Architects, engineers, and equipment, who are fundamental in carrying out the projects, manufacturers were also present. The aim of the project was to present different possible solutions and to share experiences from all the people involved in the development of a project, be it industrial, tertiary or residential.
What innovative projects related to this initiative have been carried out or are planned to be undertaken in Andalusia?
Different incentive programmes are being promoted from the Andalusian Energy Agency with the aim to encourage decarbonisation and foster energy transition, urging the creation of a more efficient and renewable energy system in Andalusia. To achieve their aims, energy efficiency is being promoted mainly within the industry, large companies and SMEs. The aims are reducing consumption and emissions; improving the industry’s competitiveness through the technological improvement in industrial equipment and processes; and the implementation of energy management systems. Furthermore, programmes are under way for farming operations, transport, self-consumption in residential settings, renewable thermal energy and building energy renovation.
In your opinion, what should public incentive programmes be like?
I think any public incentive programme that is coordinated with energy efficiency improvement needs to make sure that it is comprehensible and simple from an administrative point of view. It needs to cause conflict and be efficient in both its procedures and the pay outs related to the incentive programme.